


Burning Love

by Flames101



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-13
Updated: 2014-11-26
Packaged: 2018-02-21 02:08:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2450750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flames101/pseuds/Flames101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>JJ's attempt to get back into the dating game just in time to have a romantic Valentine's Day is thwarted when an old flame gets in the way. JJ/Hotch. M-Rating.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tokala](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tokala/gifts).



> Originally published on ff.net on Feb 9, 2011

**A/N:** Another, JJ/Hotch story here! I definitely love writing them, so hope you all enjoy reading them. This one in particular is written for Chit Chat on Author Corner's Round 8 Challenge: The Valentine's Day Gift exchange. So, this story is written for **Tokala**. I really hope you like it.

 **Prompts:** Burning Love by Elvis Prestley; candy hearts; love poem; and a disastrous date, preferably not between the main characters.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Criminal Minds, or Smallville.

**Chapter 1:**

 

* * *

 "And then Clark confronted Lex in Clark's fortress of solitude…"

 _Oh God,_ JJ thought frantically, _how much more of this can I take?_

She stared ahead at her date for the night, Bruce, a budding actor that definitely looked like he belonged on television. He had the looks for it, tall, dark and handsome, but what he had in looks he lacked in personality.

She wondered, as she watched him continue on, if he could possibly be for real? All JJ had asked was what his favourite TV show was; and one hour, and one plate of chicken fettuccine alfredo later, she was now thoroughly informed about seasons one to seven of Smallville. And if JJ recollected correctly, Smallville was currently on its tenth, and final season. Thank goodness for small miracles, he _had_ to stop when he got to ten.

She couldn't help it, she let out a small wistful sigh, but luckily, or rather unluckily, Bruce didn't notice and kept right on.

"Then the fortress crashed all around them and that's how season seven ended," Bruce said eagerly.

He looked so animated, so lively, that JJ didn't have the heart to interrupt him. She had a feeling that Bruce, as good-looking as he was, did not get out much. And JJ silently cursed her best friend, Garcia, for setting her up on this disastrous date.

Truthfully, JJ had no choice in the matter. About a week ago, JJ, Penelope, and Emily had had a girl's night over at JJ's watching romantic comedies all night, when Garcia had asked what everyone's Valentine's plans were. When JJ had burst out laughing, she had to explain that as a single mother of a three year old—she'd broken things off with Will about three months before—Valentine's plans were definitely not on her mind. She hadn't even had a date since she'd ended her relationship.

Apparently, that had been unacceptable to her friends, well, at least to Garcia. She had proclaimed that no one should be alone on Valentine's Day, hence the trial-date with Bruce. She was to give him a try and then not so subtlety suggest that they spend the romantic holiday together; Garcia's orders.

 _Yeah, like that was going to happen,_ she scoffed in her head. She had just been able to hold her incredulous snort in check.

What JJ should have said in response to Garcia's question was that she knew exactly who she wanted to spend Valentine's with. She just couldn't.

"Now, when season eight started there was no sign of Lex," Bruce said conversationally. "That's because Michael Rosenbaum… the guy who plays Lex wanted out… which if you ask me, sucks. What's superman without…"

JJ took this time to take a look around. It was a shame Bruce was such a dud because the setting for their date was quite nice.

The date had started so promising; Bruce had picked her up with a bouquet of roses in hand, he'd opened doors for her along the way, and then he'd proceeded to take her to one of the most in demand restaurants in the city, La Vita e Bella, only to bore her to death.

Looking around, the restaurant's lights were dimmed, but she could still make out the other customers, mostly couples, enjoying their fine dining. She suddenly felt a hint of jealously in the pit of her stomach.

_Why couldn't she have what they had? Where was her good time?_

And then as she was scanning those happy faces something or someone, rather, caught her eye.

_Hotch._

There he was, sitting across the room in one of the few, semi-private booths. He was alone, at the moment—you didn't get a booth to sit alone, though, making her wonder. And he was smiling at her; it seemed he'd spotted her as well.

His smile turned into a quizzical look as he spotted Bruce, still in animated mode. She shot him a sheepish smile, with an added subtle shrug of her shoulders.

Bruce was now waving his hands, forcing her gaze to go back to the man that was her date, away from the man she wanted, but apparently couldn't have.

She remembered that one night four months ago they'd shared. It had been the most wonderful night of her life, only to end in bitter disappointment.

_%%_

_JJ lay back in bed, breathing heavily, trying to come down from the high she'd just experienced. The high she'd just received at the hands of her boss Aaron Hotchner._

_She looked up to see that he was sitting up in bed, back to her, and she could clearly hear that he was attempting to recover as well._

_She had to grin at that. It felt so powerful to get a man known for his control to just let loose. Because that was exactly what had happened between them that night after driving Hotch home, both of them had finally let it all go with each other._

_After months of indecision, steamy secret looks passed between them, and the occasional touch here and there, they'd done what they'd both wanted to do for a long time now. They'd acted on the tension that had been building steadily since the day JJ had offered to make him dinner, after he'd admitted to her he didn't want to be alone—Jack had been with Hailey's parents, the first time away from him since her death._

_As she stared at his strong back, JJ realized that once was not enough. She crawled across the bed and made her way to sit in front of him. He didn't look at her, but that didn't deter her._

_She trailed her fingers up his bare arms and then down across his chest. She leaned into him and placed kisses where her fingers had been, burning a trail across his body. She was rewarded for her efforts when his arms came up around her to run gently along the smooth plains of her back._

_She smiled into the kisses and changed her path upwards, to nip first at his jaw, then to the corner of his mouth, and back again. She paused long enough to straddle his body and then went in for another mind-blowing kiss._

_But when Hotch turned his head away, she pulled back to frown at him._

_"Aaron?" she asked._

_"JJ," he murmured, not looking her in the eye. "We… we can't do this… not again."_

_It was like a slap to the face or a glass of ice cold poured down her back._

_"Oh," she said emotionlessly._

_Quickly, with lightening fast reflexes that she didn't know she'd possessed, she was off the bed and collecting her clothes from around the room._

_"JJ." He said her name so sadly, like he regretted what they'd just done._

What the hell was this? Why had he slept with her if he obviously didn't want to?

_She was hurt, but she wasn't going to show him that. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing his simple statement was breaking her heart._

_"JJ, I'm—" he started but she cut him off._

_"Don't you dare say you're sorry," she said furiously, pointing a finger at him accusingly._

_Apparently, she_ was _going to show him how angry she was._

_She swiftly started to put on the clothes that only an hour ago he was so eager to remove. Once on, she turned to him again._

_"I'm leaving," she said, voice full of bitterness._

_She started to storm out of his bedroom. She realized she was acting like a scorned, drama queen, but she had seriously thought that this moment right then was the start of something wonderful._

_"JJ, wait," Hotch said forcefully._

_He'd caught up with her just as she was pulling the front door open. His hand came out of no where to shut the door. She didn't turn around or acknowledge his presence. He'd give up sooner or later._

_She heard him let out a long suffering sigh._

Why was he suffering? _She thought resentfully_. This is all his fault!

_"JJ, at least let me explain," he said, still sounding remorseful._

_She turned around on him, shooting him a glare she only used on the truly evil and said, "What's there to explain? You don't want me. I got it. You know, Hotch, I never took you for the kind of man to just sleep with someone and then dump them."_

_Having said what she wanted to say she turned back around to try the door again. But his damned hand was still in place._

_So, the only thing she could do was turn around once again and hear what he had to say. That, or scream—and she knew they both did not need that kind of attention. So, she'd hear his stupid excuse; she vaguely wondered what line he'd give her._

_"Two reasons," he started simple._

_She crossed her arms over her chest, barely containing the eye-roll that she so wanted to shoot him; of course he'd really meant 'two excuses.'_

_"JJ, I'm your boss," he said pleadingly. "If things were different… maybe… but if everyone found out about this one, or probably, both of us would get fired… you want to risk that?"_

Oh _.  
_

_She had forgotten the whole Bureau fraternization rules. She wanted him… but she also loved her job._

_"Two," he started again, after pausing for her reaction. "JJ, what about Will?"_

_Her eyes widened, her mouth formed an 'o' shape just before she murmured it out loud._

_"Are you two still together?" he asked, an edge of hardness in his voice._

_The look on her face must have said it all._

_"JJ, we can't do this," he reiterated more firmly._

_She nodded her head. This time when she turned towards the door and tried to open it he let her._

_%%_

She let out a sigh, coming out of that bittersweet memory, to find that Bruce was still sitting at her table, and yes he was still talking.

It had taken them awhile to go back to normal after that night, or as normal as it could be between two people who'd seen each other naked.

She snuck another glance at her former boss and one time lover. He was still alone, but his gaze was riveted to his phone now.

He had been right, at the time. Their jobs would have been on the line, jobs she knew both desperately loved. Neither had been willing to risk losing their jobs over a potential relationship. And then _there_ had been Will.

Her feelings for Hotch had not gone completely unnoticed by all. Will had noticed something. He had commented on numerous occasions how she was more distant, less affectionate with him. He'd even accused her of cheating on him; something that had been completely untrue until that one night with Hotch. And yet she still stayed with him. _After all, if she couldn't be with Hotch, the father of her child was the next best thing, right?_

Eventually, after a couple months of confusion, she figured out that the answer to that question was 'no, it wasn't.' And she'd broken things off with Will, not to his surprise. It had definitely been a long time coming. Now they shared custody of Henry, pretty amicably, all things considered.

She hadn't thought about that night in awhile, at least not since she'd been shipped out of the BAU for a position with the Department of Defence. Having no reminder of it in her face every day made putting it behind her a lot easier. But seeing Hotch only a few tables away reawakened the emotions and wishes she'd long ago buried.

She snuck another glance at him; he was smiling now, looking off into the distance. Her heart skipped a beat; she always loved his rare smiles.

 _Could things be different now? Now that she was no longer his employee, his subordinate, could they be together? She was_ _free; no more Will… was it possible_?

JJ's heart began to race with the possibility. She realized that she'd never stopped wanting him, that she wanted him now.

She was getting ready to give Bruce an excuse to leave and to get up and join Hotch when the thing, or rather person, that he'd been smiling at suddenly appeared at Hotch's table.

A tall—much taller than her, JJ compared—blonde beauty leaned into Hotch as he put his arms around her. The woman gave him a kiss on the cheek and Hotch reciprocated, to JJ's horror.

"JJ, did you want to say something?"

Someone was talking to her, but her gaze was riveted to the horror in front of her.

"What?" she managed to say.

"You look like you want to say something," Bruce said sheepishly.

So, it seemed that he hadn't been completely unaware of him being a conversation hog. He gave her a kind, knowing look.

_What was she dong here, leading him on?_

"I…" her voice came out squeaky. "I've got to use the washroom."

Abruptly, she got out of her chair and practically ran out of the dining room. Once inside, she was thankful that no one else happened to be there because she felt like she was going to be sick.

She went over to the sink and leaned over it as she tried to catch her breath. Apparently, she was still in love with her former boss. Seeing him with another woman was excruciatingly painful.

Why hadn't Garcia told her Hotch was seeing someone? Out of all her friends, only Garcia knew about her feelings for her boss-man and how far things had gotten between them. Garcia knew JJ'd want to know if he'd moved on with someone else, if only to avoid situations like this. She was definitely going to call her friend and give her a piece of her mind.

She had to get out of there first; she couldn't date anyone else as long as she felt this strongly. She realized that now. She had to go apologize to Bruce and get as far as possible from this restaurant and its patrons.

She made her way out the door and straight into a strong, very hard, chest.

"Sorry about…" she trailed off as she glanced up at the owner of that chest.

"You aren't planning on ditching that poor man, are you?" Hotch asked her, amusement in his eyes.

* * *

So, that's it for now. I'm planning on this being a 3-shot (five chapters at most) and hopefully I can get an update in tomorrow.

Just wanted to say thanks to **ilovetvalot** and **tonnie20019169** for managing these lovely challenges!


	2. Chapter 2

 

**A/N** : Hi again. Hope you enjoy!

Ok, on with the show…

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Criminal Minds.

**Chapter 2:**

 

* * *

 

Hotch sat quietly alone in a booth seat of a restaurant he'd never before been too, La Vita e Bella. That's because La Vita e Bella or, translated into English, Life is Beautiful, was the type of restaurant you took a lover to. And at the moment he was fresh out of those.

He had to wonder why Sean and his girlfriend, Janine, had asked him to meet them there. He also wondered why they were having this dinner tonight when they'd already made plans to go to the movies two days from now.

But, really, he didn't mind. Lately, he enjoyed spending time with his brother and he had to believe that was entirely Janine's doing. She had a calming, stabilizing effect on Sean and he was happy to say that his brother's life was definitely on the up and up route. No, he wasn't going to become a star prosecutor like he had been, but he was going to be opening his own restaurant on the weekend.

Hotch was truly happy for his brother and he was glad that he'd found someone who made him so happy. He would definitely remind his brother every chance he got to hold onto her because he knew what it was like to have someone perfect for you and then lose them.

Of course, in his case it had been almost impossible for them to stay together. Still, he had to wonder if the reasons for them not staying together were truly legitimate or had he just been too scared to let yet another person in.

Either way, he missed JJ like hell, especially since she wasn't a member of the BAU any longer.

_What was that saying, oh yeah: absence makes the heart grow fonder._

Well his heart was near bursting with how much he cared for her.

As if just thinking about her had conjured her up from memory, he'd felt a pair of eyes on him, and when he looked up he found JJ sitting across the room at a table. She shot him a confused smile and he couldn't help smiling back, it was instinct after not seeing her for so long.

But she wasn't alone. A man, who clearly wasn't Will—build was all wrong—was sitting across from her. A single rose lying across the table was evidence that his former media liaison was on a date.

_Since when had she broken things off with Will and why hadn't he been informed?_

It was a testament to his famed control that he didn't get up and demand from the striking blonde as to what the hell she thought she was doing with another man that wasn't him? Because, that's exactly what he felt like doing, as his blood boiled under his skin. But clearly he'd refrained; JJ wasn't his, and he had no right or claim to her whatsoever.

Instead, he shot her a quizzical look, hoping to convey wonder at who the man was, but nothing more.

When she returned his look with a sheepish one of her own, combined with the almost imperceptible shrug of her shoulders he knew that this date meant nothing. The relief he felt was acute and he didn't have to wonder at why he was feeling it. He cared for JJ deeply, plain and simple.

Since the day Hailey had died, his relationship with his then media liaison had changed. It was no longer boss and employee first, friends second; their friendship had become forefront. And then, later on, the definition of their relationship changed again after one night of JJ staying late to make him dinner. It had been the first time that he'd almost kissed her and definitely hadn't been the last.

They'd found themselves in a few other situations that called for them to be in close conditions; and on a few occasions they'd gotten as close as mere millimetres away from a sweet kiss only to be interrupted time and time again.

He had to admit, as he looked back on JJ's last few months as a member of his team, that the tension between the two had been building; it had been thick enough to cut with a knife. And that knife had come down hard the night his car had decided not to work and JJ'd driven him home.

That night had been spectacular. He always remembered it as a happy one, choosing not to remember his stupidity that had ruined everything. It was the only time he'd allowed himself freedom from the constraints he put on himself, the ones that gave him his stoic reputation. It was a tribute to JJ that she was the one who'd helped him pull down those walls at least for that brief hour.

* * *

 

_%%_

_The car ride to his apartment building had been long and full of that same tension that had made a permanent home around the pair._

_He opened his apartment door and was a little surprised when JJ followed him inside. Well, he'd been taken aback when JJ'd insisted on walking him up. She'd said, "I just want to make sure you're safe." She smiled after that, indicating she was slightly joking._

" _Thanks for the ride," he said gratefully, hoping his tone signified the end to their night._

_It wasn't right for them to be alone together, especially not alone together in his apartment. There was only so much control a man could inflict on himself._

_Looking at JJ standing there, back to his closed door, watching him; she looked totally kissable, he could feel his precarious hold on that control slipping._

" _JJ?" he questioned, perplexed when she didn't speak or move._

_She let out a sigh, stepping away from the door, a wry smile on her face. "This is the part where I'm supposed to say, 'You're welcome, Hotch. It was no problem, Hotch. Have a good night, Hotch. See you at work, Hotch.'"_

_Her tone grew more frustrated with each sentence and he suddenly knew what she was getting at even before she spoke her next few words._

" _JJ…" he warned._

_She stepped towards him, closing the distance between them; she placed a finger across his lips effectively shushing him, leaving it there as she spoke._

" _When all I really want to say is, 'I'm not going anywhere, Aaron. I want to be with you, Aaron. I know you want to be with me, too, Aaron. Stop fighting us, Aaron.'"_

_JJ dropped the finger from his lips, seemingly having finished what she'd wanted to say. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for his response._

What could he say? _That yes, she was right, he wanted her so badly it hurt. That it was taking every ounce of his strength for him not to reach for her and never let go. That he'd never in his life had wanted to lose a fight so badly._ He wanted to say all those things!

_So, what did he do?_

_One minute he was standing there in front of her, arms at his sides, looking at her desperately. And then, the next, much to JJ's pleasant surprise, he was reaching for her._

_He wanted her and he was weak. The tentative rope of control he'd possessed a moment ago snapped under the heavy weight of that crystal clear, blue eyed gaze and displeased pout on JJ's lips. He so wanted to please her._

_Hotch pulled her flush against his body; crashing his lips over top of hers. He kissed her over and over again, hungrily, like he couldn't get enough. His hands, too, were relentless, running along the curves of her body. He couldn't get enough of her._

_Somehow, he'd pulled them into his bedroom, where he briefly pulled away from her luscious body, just long enough to pull off her blazer and top. The sight of her pale, smooth skin was nearly his undoing and he had to wonder how he'd feel when he touched that bare skin._

_His hands eagerly reached for her, wanting to encircle her body in his grasp, to run his hands along her curves, but she swatted them away. He shot her a confused look. She responded with a grin just before her own hands made quick work of his tie and shirt. He kept his hands away just long enough for her to slip it off his shoulders._

_When JJ had pulled off the rest of his clothes and pushed him back onto the bed, he was already so completely intoxicated by her skin and touch that there was definitely no stopping them now._

_JJ gave him a brief look of complete need before she climbed overtop him to straddle his body. She was so lost in the moment that he let her have his way with him; she took hold of his hands and held them above his head while she peppered his body with feather-light, teasing kisses._

" _JJ," he murmured, as her kisses followed the light dusting of hair that trailed downwards. When she moved back up, he growled in frustration and decided that it was his turn. He flipped her over, so that she was under him, and now completely at his mercy._

_He mimicked her teasing technique, until finally JJ let out her own frustrations in the form of loud yell, "Aaron, now!"_

_By the time he took her he was so lost in the heat of desire that he didn't know which way was up or down._

_It had been the greatest sensation of his life. The greatest night of his life._

_%%_

* * *

 

He didn't like to remember the rest of that night. Because that's when he'd messed everything up.

_Damn ethics and morals to hell. He could have had her every night since then. But no… he had to be a rule follower._

He snuck another glance at the woman he so wanted. She seemed lost in thought, not at all paying attention to her date. And he wondered what she was thinking about.

He wondered if it was along the same lines of what he was thinking. She was single; it didn't take a profiler to figure out that the date she was currently on was a disastrous one. The things that had been keeping them apart—Will, the FBI—were no longer a factor. They could be together if they wanted to be.

Hotch glanced at JJ again. He somehow needed to get her alone. Sean and Janine—

His train of thought was cut off when he spotted Janine in the distance. She'd seen him too and was shooting him her trademark, infectious smile; it was real hard not to smile back at the five foot eleven woman.

"Aaron!" Janine exclaimed when she'd reached his table. "It's so good to see you."

He hugged Janine back when the woman put her arms around him. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and it felt only natural to reciprocate. Janine was just one of those touchy-feely types of people. Except in her case you didn't get uncomfortable.

"It's good to see you too," Hotch answered, pulling back just in time to see JJ rushing away from her table.

He followed her with his eyes seeing she was making her way towards the washrooms. The way she hurried, though, let him know that something was up.

"Earth to Aaron," Janine was saying.

He glanced her way to see she was sitting and he was looking at her from up above. That was wrong; she wasn't that much shorter than him, why was he seeing her from above?

"Aren't you going to sit down?" she added.

_Oh,_  he was still standing.

Slowly, he took his seat. And then he realized something else. Where was Sean?

He must have voiced his question because Janine was answering, "Oh he's trying to find a spot, it's packed tonight!"

Hotch nodded.

"You know, Janine, I'm just going to use the washroom, be right back," he said, rather abruptly; before she could reply, he was up and out of his seat.

Hopefully, he hadn't missed her. He really wanted to speak with her.

Just as he turned the corner he bumped right into someone. Recovering quickly, he cursed himself for running into JJ.

"Sorry about…" She was saying, just before she realized who'd nearly barrelled her over.

He said the first thing that came to mind, "You aren't planning on ditching that poor man, are you?"

He meant it as a joke, but when he saw her face fall, he knew he was an idiot.

"Shouldn't you be with your date, are  _you_  ditching her?" JJ replied tartly.

When she started to walk away in a huff, he knew he needed to act fast.

"JJ, wait!"

* * *

Well that's it for now. I'll try… to update soon… :)


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**  Hi again. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Please R&R! Thanks!

 **Disclaimer:**  I don't own Criminal Minds or Smallville.

**Chapter 3:**

 

* * *

 

JJ didn't turn around at Hotch's calls. She couldn't believe she'd let herself think they could be together now. It was so obvious that they couldn't. He'd moved on. He'd found a taller, more attractive woman to be with. And  _she_  was still alone.

She hadn't been able to stop herself from blurting out a harsh comment at his teasing remark. She'd known he was only joking; Hotch had never been the type to be cruel or mean to the people he cared about. Still…

_The situation was so messed up!_

From the second she'd laid eyes on her former boss sitting across from her alone, all she'd wanted to do was get out of her seat and jump him. And then having that other woman get thrown in her face… well, it was like her heart broke all over again. And she couldn't stay there and watch the man that she essentially loved act all love-y with someone that wasn't her.

Rejection once was hard enough. Twice would squash her heart into a pulpy, unfixable mess.

_Time to tell Bruce that it just wasn't meant to be._

She was about to re-enter the dining area when she was suddenly pulled back by her arm. She whirled around, angrily, knowing exactly who it was manhandling her.

"Hotch, let go," she gritted out.

"I just need to explain," he protested, but let go of her arm nonetheless.

She remembered his last explanation to her. Logical as it was, she still resented him for backing off. "I think I've heard enough explanations for one year."

She turned back around; looking at his startled face was too much. She just had to get out.

"She's Sean's girlfriend!" she heard Hotch blurt out quickly, stopping her in her tracks.

A flicker of hope sparked somewhere deep inside her. Slowly, she turned around giving him a scrutinizing look, wondering if he was lying. But he'd never lied to her in his life that was the problem.

"What?" she asked for good measure. She'd listen to his reasons now.

"JJ," he started. "That woman out there, that's Janine, Sean's girlfriend for a year now. They invited me out to dinner."

"Where… where's Sean?" she stuttered out, hope making her anxious.

He grinned then. "He's parking the car."

"So… so, you aren't seeing her…"

Hope was roaring back to life.

Hotch stepped towards her, grin still on his face. He reached for her hands, holding them in each of his own. "JJ," he said sincerely. "I'm not seeing anyone."

A smile overtook her face, just before she threw her arms around him and brought her lips to his in a heated kiss.

She just couldn't help it; the hope mixed with relief was suddenly playing havoc with her emotions. All she wanted to was hold him and never let go. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. She was both happy and sad. Happy for this moment right then, but also sad for the lost time they'd endured.

As she continued to kiss him, she quickly realized that happy was definitely winning over.

They pulled apart after a minute. JJ grinned up at him, suddenly not wanting to take her eyes off him. She was surprised by the strained look on his face and she was struck by the sickening sense of déjà vu.

"What is it?" she said cautiously.

"JJ," he started slowly; his arms were still around her, though.  _A good sign?_  "I'm not with anyone, but you are…"

"I am?" she said, confusion in her voice.

Hotch nodded in the direction of the dining room and JJ almost laughed out loud. She managed to hold it in and just grin instead. "You mean Bruce?" she exclaimed, a giggle slipped out. "Bruce is nice, but he's definitely not you."

"Still, if you're seeing him—" Hotch began gallantly.

She pressed the palms of her hands to his chest getting him to stop. "Hotch, it was a set up. Garcia didn't want me to spend Valentines alone. So, she thought I should try Bruce out and then ask him out for the 14th. It was just a trial."

Hotch's smile was back. "And, what's the verdict?"

JJ did laugh then. "No way in hell."

He pulled her to him then, hugging her tightly. "Good," she heard him murmur, making her heart soar, "Good."

He held her out at arms length again, not letting go, though. She really was enjoying all this touching.

"There's so much we need to talk about, so much we need to figure out," he was saying.

"Let's get out of here," she suggested. "I can get out of this date and we can go."

"Sean and Janine invited me out for a reason," he said sullenly. "Let me find out what it is…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. Taking one off, he pressed it into her hand. "Here, meet me at home. And I'll be there right away. Ok?"

She smiled at him. She was ecstatic that things might actually be fitting into place.

"Ok," she assured. She leaned up on her toes to give his cheek a kiss. "Hurry ok. I can't wait to…  _talk_."

There was a whole lot on her mind other than just talking.

He grinned. "For sure."

JJ rushed back to the dining room, knowing she'd been gone for an extraordinarily long time.

Poor Bruce, he was still sitting right there, waiting patiently. He really was a nice guy, but they had nothing in common. In fact, she was sure he'd get a long with Emily great; she was a huge Smallville fan too.

 _Hmm…_ she'd definitely suggest that idea to Garcia.

"JJ, are you all right?" Bruce asked concernedly.

"Umm… yeah…" She didn't take her seat. "Something just came up. My babysitter needs to leave early so…"

Henry, in actuality, was Will at the moment.

She hated lying. But she couldn't outright say, 'Bruce, you bored me to death,' because he seemed like a decent guy.

"So… you've got to go," he said sounding dejected.

JJ felt horrible, but she consoled herself in knowing that she'd soon set up the handsome man with someone who could appreciate him.

"Yeah," she said, apologetically. She grabbed the single rose and a piece of paper off the table. "Thanks for the rose and the uh… love poem."

He visibly cringed. "You're welcome… the uh… love poem was Penelope's idea."

She nodded. She could have guessed.

"Well…" she said awkwardly. "Umm… see you around."

With a wave of her hand, she started on her way, eager to get to Hotch's place and even more eager for the moment he'd join her.

* * *

Well that's it for now. This is definitely looking like it will reach the five chapter mark. So, stay tuned for two more chapters.

Hope you all enjoyed! 


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Hello again. Well here's the 4th out of 5 chapters. If you didn't notice from the summary the **rating has gone up to M,** particularly for this chapter. So, you've been warned.

I hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Criminal Minds.

**Chapter 4:**

 

* * *

 

Hotch walked back into the dining room, one eye on where he was going and one on JJ across the room. She hadn't sat back down, a sign that she really was going to end her date and go back to his place to meet him there. The possibilities of what might happen there sent shivers down his spine.

"Aaron, where've you been?" he heard Janine question good-naturedly. "You were gone for awhile. I thought of two possibilities for what could have happened to you. Either you fell into the toilet, or you found someone to have a quickie with…"

That caught his attention. He turned to glare at his brother's girlfriend. "What? No… no—"

"Relax, Aaron, she was just kidding."

It wasn't until he had spoken that Hotch had noticed that they had been joined by his lovely, younger brother.

Janine just laughed. "From your reaction I'd say I hit the bull on the nose. Not sure I believe you…"

Hotch just shrugged it off. He chalked up his sudden mood to the tension he felt at still being there when the woman of his dreams was on his way to his apartment. He glanced back at JJ to see if she'd left yet. She looked to be about to say good bye.

"Is that JJ?" Sean asked, having followed his gaze. "Isn't she going to say hi?"

"Who's JJ?" Janine wanted to know, suddenly craning her neck to seek out this JJ person.

Hotch watched JJ leave, not answering the pestering questions. He silently promised her that he'd be following soon.

"Oh, I get it. JJ's the one you just hooked up with in the washroom, good for you Aaron, she's hot!" Janine answered her own question.

"He wishes," Sean scoffed.

Hotch turned his attention back to the two, glaring at the two with the twin maturity levels.

"Is there another reason why you two invited me out to dinner other than to harass me?"

"What, _no_ hi Sean, how are you Sean? Good to see you?" Sean said, mock hurt.

He let out a long-suffering sigh before gritting his teeth and saying, "Hi Sean, how've you been Sean? It's good to see you."

He had half a mind to get out of there, leaving his brother and girlfriend in the dust. He couldn't believe he was wasting time here, getting affronted, instead of being on his way home to spend the rest of the evening with the woman he was in love with.

"Ok good," Sean said, seemingly satisfied. "We did have something to tell you… we were going to wait until after we ate, but…"

"… Someone's being a grumpy grouch…" Janine added in a voice you'd use when speaking with a toddler.

Sean put his arm around Janine's shoulders, pulling her close. And Hotch realized suddenly that something very important had just happened in his brother's life.

"Aaron, Janine and I are getting married!"

His face instantly lit up. For a moment, he forgot all about his own issues, setting them aside, so that he could just feel happiness for his brother.

"Congratulations!" Hotch said ecstatically.

He hugged both of them, getting all the pertinent details from them as they ordered a bottle of celebratory champagne to talk over.

He didn't drink much, he had to drive to JJ after all, but he did ask all the questions that need asking, like if they'd set a date or decided on a venue yet.

And then after about 30 minutes of chatting merrily, Hotch stood up to go.

"I've got to go," he started apologetically.

"But dinner," Janine protested.

"Yeah, Aaron, you aren't really going to ditch your brother mid-celebration are you?" Sean added.

But it was clear to him that the couple would be just fine alone, they were getting increasingly cuddly and Hotch thought they could use some alone time. Just like he could use some with his own blonde beauty.

He smiled. He was truly happy for his brother. He was also happy that he could celebrate this moment with him. Their relationship had definitely evolved over time to a really good place, where they could just be brothers instead of Hotch trying to act both the role of older sibling and father figure to his younger brother. It was always a wonder though, that Sean actually wanted him around for something's.

"You two don't really need me here to celebrate, do you?" Hotch said logically. "Besides, I just remembered there's something that needs doing back home…"

Sean and Janine shared a conspiratorial look before saying, completely deadpan, at the same time, " _JJ_."

Hotch let out an exasperated sigh. Shaking his head, he began to walk away to the sounds of the happy couple's laugher.

* * *

JJ turned the key in Hotch's door, a bundle of nerves. She slipped inside the door and leaned against it once inside. She just needed a minute to collect herself. After all, it wasn't everyday that a woman, any woman, was on the verge of getting everything she'd ever wanted in life.

JJ let out a content sigh, still leaning against the front door. She took in what she could see of his apartment. What some would call small, JJ would call cozy. The place hadn't changed since the last time she was there, which also happened to be the same night she'd stormed out. Same black leather furniture, same dark tones on the walls, it was all Hotch. But she had to hand it to him; he'd made his tiny apartment into a home for him and his son. There were touches of Jack everywhere, from the spelling test on the fridge, to the few toys scattered on the living room floor, to the framed photograph of Jack and Hailey on the fireplace mantle.

JJ walked over to the fireplace and picked up that picture. Hotch had once caught her staring at the picture. He'd thought she was wondering if he'd still been in love with his ex-wife. He'd explained to her that he'd long since gotten over the feelings he'd had for Hailey at the time of their divorce. That the reason the picture was there was for Jack. To remind him that he had a mother who loved him. JJ had been more than ok with that; no child should ever have to lose a mother. In fact, what she had really been thinking was what would happen to Henry if something like that ever happened to her?

"You know I stopped loving Hailey a long time ago, right?"

JJ jumped at the sound of Hotch's voice. She turned around to see him standing by the door, scrutinizing her. The same wonder that was in his eyes that day was there again.

"No, I know," she answered. She didn't elaborate, but the look melted from his eyes.

He walked over to her and took the picture from her hands. She watched him stare at it for a second; she saw the same anguish cross his eyes when he thought of the horror that Hailey had endured. She hated seeing that look in his eyes, always blaming himself. It hadn't been his fault.

She reached out a hand to gently touch his cheek. His eyes met hers, sharing a look of understanding. He let out a sigh.

"I think it's time this goes in Jack's room," he pronounced; he placed it facedown on the mantle.

JJ understood what he was trying to tell her. If she'd had any doubts before that he was ready to move on, they were completely gone now.

She leaned up on her toes and pressed her lips to his in a chaste kiss. She absolutely loved him.

JJ began to lean back ready to have that talk they'd said they would have, but Hotch seemed to have other ideas.

His arms went around her body quickly, to pull her body back to meet his. She gasped at the abruptness, but was more than happy to submit. His head bent towards hers, lips hovering right above hers. Both their breaths were coming heavily; both anticipating what was to come from the night ahead.

"JJ…" he murmured, voice full of lust, desire, and love.

That's all it took, just the simple utterance of her name to bring her complete undoing.

She closed the distance, pressing her lips to his eagerly. She slipped her arms around his neck, afraid that if she didn't hold onto him she'd melt into a puddle at his feet.

His arms worked their way around her back, and his hands slipped under the back of her shirt to move across her back and then to splay across her abdomen, and then back again. It was like he couldn't decide where he wanted to touch her more.

She grinned into the kiss and felt the tip of his tongue seeking entrance. The kiss deepened then and JJ knew there was no turning back.

She slipped her own hands to the front of his neck, down his chest, and down, un-tucking his button-up shirt from his pants. All she wanted, at the moment, was to feel her hands run along the planes of his chest, to feel his skin burn on hers. She began to unbutton his shirt at the exact moment she felt Hotch's deft fingers unhook her bra.

JJ kissed him with increased fervour; she almost cried out when Hotch's fingers grazed the sensitive skin at the underside of her left breast. He pulled away from her and this time she did let out a little whimper of protest; she felt lost without his touch.

Afraid that he was running again, she started to reach for him, but he pushed her arms aside gently. She looked up at his face, then, to see what he wanted and the small smirk, combined with this heated gaze told her all he wanted was her.

He reached his hands to either side of her waist and took hold of the hem of her sweater. Understanding what he wanted, she helped him out by lifting her arms when he started to tug the thing up over her head. The bra came next, easily slipping off her shoulders. She stood there, topless, the cooler air on her flushed skin a bit of a shock. But, she didn't think that it was the temperature change that had her gasping for breath, no, it was the hunger in Hotch's eyes as he took her in.

"Aaron," she called to him, surprising herself by how husky she sounded.

And he listened to her unsaid plea. Hotch reached for her, one arm going around her body to press at the small of her back, the other hand reached up to do exactly what she wanted. His right hand cupped her breast, squeezing gently. She groaned at his touch, but was silenced when his lips came to crash over hers once more.

The thumb of his right hand flicked over her nipple over and over again, teasing the already sensitive skin there. His kisses too became a game, moving from her lips to the corner of her mouth, the line of her jaw, and then back to the corner.

JJ couldn't take it anymore, it was all too much and she just needed to feel him against her. She pulled back to finish the job she'd already begun with his shirt. And then she was taking his hands and pulling him towards his bedroom.

"JJ?" Hotch questioned, seemingly unsure of her readiness.

But she was more than ready, she'd been waiting for this moment for a long time and she was going to get exactly what she wanted.

Before getting on the bed, JJ took her time divesting him of the rest of his clothes, adding to the pile hers as well. Then she was pushing him back onto the bed, ready to get what was hers.

Hotch grinned at her, raising himself up on his elbows. She took in every inch of him. She must have been grinning like a madwoman because Hotch took the time to tease, "See something you like?"

Instead of answering, she approached the bed and straddled his body. She heard him gasp when their bodies came so close to interlocking. But, not yet, first she wanted to taste him.

She leaned forward and peppered his jaw with feather light kisses. She trailed the same kisses down his neck, taking the time to add in a playful nip or two. She paused when she reached the spot right over his heart. She looked at him from beneath the fringe of her lashes, he was watching her too. She placed a loving kiss right there, infusing in it and her gaze all the love she felt for him right then and would continue to feel forever.

Her mouth continued to blaze a trail lower, following the line of hair downward; she hovered there for a few seconds, teasing him with her kisses while her hands reached out to touch and stroke his hard length.

Hotch, thoroughly frustrated, managed to flip them over so now she was under him. But he didn't bother with the teasing. He went straight for what he wanted. His mouth closed over the peak of her breast, pulling at the erect nipple between his teeth. JJ moaned for more. Much to her delight he obeyed and continued to lick and nip at the sensitive bud. Not to feel neglected, he went right to work on the other one too.

When the hand that was on her hip suddenly dipped between her legs to touch her so intimately she let out a strangled cry.

"Aaron, please…" she panted out. "Please…"

She wasn't quite sure what she was pleading for; she guessed she wanted anything but for him to stop. His fingers stroked her slick folds expertly. And then she felt a finger thrust into her, in and out, once, twice, three times…

"Aaron, now, please," she moaned. She needed to feel him inside her right then, she was so close.

He didn't need to be told twice; he positioned his length over her and entered her slowly at first. But that initial contact lit a fire inside the both of them. Slow, wasn't going to cut it. Hotch thrust into her again and again, quickly. He grabbed hold of her right leg, bending it around his body. When he thrust into her again, she could feel him deeper, further, and it was nearly JJ's undoing.

Hotch rolled them over again, letting JJ take a turn on top. She quickly took control, lowering her body over his, encasing him inside her each time. She slowed things down, letting them savour every inch of each other, until finally neither one of them could take it anymore. Both came hard to the sounds of each other calling their names.

* * *

"Mmm…" JJ murmured, turning over in bed.

She was just waking up; she could feel the suns rays poking through the slatted blinds.

It was morning; she felt a bit disappointed that it had come so soon. The night had brought her her fantasy come true, Aaron Hotchner, multiple times, in multiple ways. She giggled at the memory of how many times they'd taken each other over the edge. _God, she loved touch him. In fact, why wasn't she snuggled into that warm, hard chest right now?_

Blindly, she reached her arm over to his side of the bed. But all she felt was the flatness of the mattress. Opening her eyes, she looked over to see that Hotch wasn't there.

Sitting up, she pulled the sheet up to cover her body. She called out, "Aaron?" But there was no answer.

She looked at his side of the bed again, just then noticing a breakfast tray on his nightstand. But instead of breakfast laid on it, there were candy hearts. JJ squirmed closer to get a better view. Now, she could see that they were in fact the type of hearts with the sayings on them, the ones sold around Valentines.

She read a few of them. Sayings like "You Rock," and "Heat Wave," had her grinning from ear to ear. The ones that said, "My Love," and "Melt My Heart" had her own heart melting. But it was the one word he'd arranged those hearts to spell that had her head over heels. That one word was LOVE.

She grinned manically at the intensely cute gesture. She had seriously died and gone to heaven. Now what she had to do was find her angel.

* * *

Well that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed. One more chapter to go!

Thanks for everyone who's been keeping up with this one. 

I'll try to update soon. ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**  Hello again. Here's the last chapter. Actually, it's more like an epilogue. Just a really short chapter to end this fic in a happy, fluffy way. Emphasis on the fluffy, it's a Valentine's fic, after all.

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who's been reading! And I hope you all enjoyed!

 **Disclaimer:**  I do not own Criminal Minds (I wish..).

**Chapter 5:**

 

* * *

 

Hotch smiled brightly as he pushed the on button to his coffee machine. He honestly couldn't remember a time where he'd been happier to be making breakfast so early in the morning. Actually, he couldn't remember a time that he'd been this happy at all.

Sure he'd been happy when he'd married Hailey. And of course he'd been ecstatic to have Jack. But something about the way he felt now was just different. He was completely, and utterly happy. There was not a single part of him, anywhere that did not feel this way. He realized a moment later that this was what contentment must feel like.

He flipped the pancake in the frying pan and then went about cracking eggs together for the scrambled eggs he was going to make. When JJ awoke he was going to have a nice meal for her. This time was going to be different; it wouldn't be like the last time she'd been here when he'd practically thrown her out of his bed.

Thinking back to the first time they were together, he always regretted hurting her. But every time he thought about it, he asked himself the same question:  _would he have changed what he'd said and done?_  And the answer up until recently was yes he would have. He would have chased her down the halls of his building and had made things up to her. But now he thought differently. Now, he had a feeling that that was the exact, right choice to make at the time.

Being together back then wouldn't have been right. Worst case scenario, they would have both gotten fired and eventually resented each other. Best case, they would have had to sneak around. Waiting had been the best choice. And now he couldn't be happier. Fate had dealt him a great hand.

"There you are!"

Hotch turned around to see JJ walking into the kitchen, clad only in his dress shirt from the night before, looking super sexy. She made her way to his side, wrapping her arms around him; she kissed him in a way reminiscent of last night. And for a minute he was glad that Jack was at his Aunt Jessica's for the weekend. He'd have her all to himself for the rest of the weekend.

Reminded of his own little boy, he instantly thought of hers; Hotch pulled away from JJ. "Where's Henry?"

She gave him a brief frown, knowing what that look meant:  _'seriously, you're thinking about kids at a moment like this?'_  But then she let out a sigh, realizing it was a legitimate question.

"He's spending the weekend with Will," she answered. "Jack?"

"Jessica's," Hotch replied.

They nodded and then went silent. Hotch turned to his pancake, pulling it out and pouring more batter in the empty heated pan. He wanted to ask her about Will. He'd never known they'd broken up and he could guess at the reason why. But he had to know…

"JJ…" he started.

Another sigh. "What happened with Will?" she asked for him.

"Yeah."

"Short version is he realized that I wasn't in love with him anymore," she explained, "And he guessed that I had feelings for someone else."

"Who?" he asked clueless-ly.

She grinned at him before putting her arms back around his waist, pulling him close. "You…"

"Oh," he said sheepishly.

"So…" she started, looking at him expectantly. "I've told you that I have feelings for you…  _Hotch_ , I love you…"

He smiled back at her waiting look. "Does it need saying?"

She gave him a pout.

"JJ," he laughed. "I love you. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone."

He pulled her in for another kiss. This time when they pulled apart, JJ rested her head on his chest listening to his heart beat for a minute.

She murmured, "Best Valentines ever."

And he couldn't agree more.

* * *

That's it. Hope you'll let me know what you think. Any comments are much appreciated. Thanks!


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